Kevin Nealon

Kevin Nealon ( ; born November 18, 1953) is an American comedian and actor. He has earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

He first gained widespread attention during his tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995, where he anchored the show's news parody segment Weekend Update. After leaving SNL, he acted in several of the Happy Madison films, played Doug Wilson on the Showtime series Weeds, and provided the voice of the title character on Glenn Martin, DDS.

Early life and education Nealon was born on November 18, 1953, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Kathleen M. (née Kimball) and Emmett F. Nealon, an aircraft company executive. He has four siblings. A few months after he was born, the family moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut; when he was six, they moved to Heidelberg, West Germany for four years. He is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic.

Career Nealon played guitar in bands during high school and gravitated to comedy in college. He later became a regular there and on Late Night with David Letterman. From 1991 to 1994, Nealon anchored Weekend Update. By the time he departed in 1995, he held the record for longest-tenured cast member at nine seasons, which has since been surpassed.

In 1991, he had his first major film role, as boyfriend Tony Boer in All I Want for Christmas. Other films in which he has since appeared include Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, Daddy Day Care, Good Boy!, and Aliens in the Attic (2009). He has a part in many of Adam Sandler's Happy Madison films, including Grandma's Boy (2006), You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), and Father of the Year (2018), and made a cameo appearance in the 2008 film Get Smart.

In the mid-1990s, Nealon played himself in three episodes of The Larry Sanders Show. The most popular episode was titled "The New Writer" when he starts hanging around the office so much that Hank (played by actor Jeffrey Tambor) is worried Nealon is trying to steal his job. Garry Shandling and Nealon had a close relationship. In 1994, Nealon hosted the 13-part series Amazing America on the Discovery Channel.

Nealon had a recurring television role on the 2002–06 CBS comedy Still Standing playing Ted Halverson, the Millers' competitive and religious neighbor. He also appeared as a patient in a mental institution on the first season of Monk. Nealon played Dr. Mark Crest in "Deja Vu", an episode of The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on July 9, 1999, during the fifth season. From 2005 to 2012, Nealon had an ongoing supporting role as Doug Wilson on the show Weeds on Showtime.

In 2002, he hosted The Conspiracy Zone on The New TNN for 26 episodes plus an unaired pilot. In 2004, he hosted the first season of Poker Royale on the Game Show Network. Nealon also hosted several years of World's Funniest Commercials specials on TBS in the 2000s.

In 2008, he published a book chronicling his experiences during his wife's pregnancy, Yes, You're Pregnant, But What About Me?

Starting in 2015, Nealon portrayed Captain Telstar in commercials for Charter Spectrum. From 2016 to 2020, he was a regular on the TV sitcom Man with a Plan.

Since 2017 he has also hosted a YouTube talk show called Hiking with Kevin where he hikes a trail with various celebrity guests; the idea came about when during a hike with Matthew Modine the two of them ran out of breath, and Nealon thought it'd be funny to record their inability to talk. As of 2022, the show is on its fourth season with over 100 episodes. Nealon produces and edits the entire show by himself, recording simply using a selfie stick and a camera drone. In January 2025, Fox News Media announced that they had reached a deal with Nealon to stream episodes on Fox Nation.

Personal life

Nealon was dating Jan Hooks when they were both hired by Saturday Night Live. During this time, Nealon, who has been a vegetarian since 1989, became active in the animal rights movement; he has supported PETA, the Washington Wildlife Alliance, The Ark Trust's Genesis Awards, and also Meat Out.

On September 3, 2005, he married Susan Yeagley in Bellagio, Lombardy, Italy. They have a son, Gable, born in 2007. They reside in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.

He is distantly related to Daniel Webster.

Nealon played rugby for Fairfield Yankees RFC.

On February 22, 2006, Nealon contributed an opinion article to The New York Times about having his phone tapped and his police records searched by Hollywood private investigator Anthony Pellicano, who was later convicted of crimes including racketeering and illegal wiretapping. It was also revealed in a separate court case later the same month that investigators working for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus may also have targeted Nealon for wiretapping in connection with his work for PETA. Nealon holds dual Irish and American citizenship.

Nealon is a fixture on the European melodic rock scene both as a fan, and as a benefactor; in 2019 he used his fame to organize a benefit for close friend and ailing rocker Tony Mills. All proceeds from the festival went towards Mills's medical expenses.

On May 15, 2022, Nealon was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, by his alma mater, Sacred Heart University. Nealon also served as the convocation speaker for the graduating class of 2022.

Filmography Film + List of films Year Title Role Director Notes & (opening sequence) Short film Uncredited Cameo appearance; uncredited & Cameo appearance Uncredited Animated film Cameo appearance Cameo appearance & Cameo appearance Mermaid Keith Tyler CornackInhabitantsDennyMatt McClung Same Same but Different Siddhartha Lauren Noll

Television + List of television programs Year Title Role Notes / Episode: "Charles Grodin/Kevin Nealon/Linda Thorson" Episode: "Tail of the Dancing Weasel" – 169 episodes Episode: "Small Blessings" / / 4 episodes Television film – 3 episodes 12 episodes Episode: "Earring" Episode: "Something About Two April Fools" – 13 episodes The Wonderful World of Disney Episode: "" – 2 episodes Episode: "Dick 'The Mouth' Solomon" Episode: "" Television film Episode: "Norm vs. Fear" Television film; uncredited Episode: "The Manny" Episode: "Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum" Television film , / 2 episodes 5 episodes Episode: "Holy Lesbo Batman" Episode: "Kamikaze Bingo" – 102 episodes Episode: "Pilot"; scenes deleted 2 episodes Episode: "Public Disturbance" – 39 episodes Episode: "Return of the Bling" 6 episodes Episode: "Fake Me Home Tonight" Episode: "Game Night 5" 2 episodes Episode: "Strange Brew" Television film Episode: "Atlanta" Episode: "Rafi and Dirty Randy" Episode: "Amber Tamblyn Wears a Leather Jacket & Black Booties" 2 episodes Himself Episode: "January 23, 2017" – Series regular; 68 episodes Idiots Episode: "Billy Hates PDA" –present Himself Web series Episode: "Jungle All the Way" Episode: "Sorry, Not Sorry" Episode: "The Stein Way" Episode: "The Movement" / Episode: "Oh, Harry!" Himself Episode: "Rachel Leigh Cook, Sherri Shepherd and Kevin Nealon" Television film 2026 Dr. Futtrell Episode: "Bad Impulses"

Books I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2022. Yes, You're Pregnant, But What About Me? New York: It Books, 2008.

Awards and nominations